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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · lash · bat · mate · season · rush · spring · dip

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mate — a friend
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — hurry
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spring — of water
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com